Door-equalizer



A. M, WOLTZ.

DOOR EQUAUZER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17. 1918.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT M. WOLTZ, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, JASSIGNOR TO SOLOMON HIMMEL, OF

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

Specification of Iietters Patent.

DOOR-EQUALIZER. I

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

Application filed September 17, 1918. SeriahNo. 254,527.

T 0 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I ALBERT M. WoL'rz, a citizen of the United tates, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Door- Equalizers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an equalizing device for doors of the type employed in connection with sectional furniture such as book cases, store shelving and display cases, and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple device for preventing the binding of the door during its sliding move ment into and out of the sectional unit to which it is attached. A further object is to provide simple means whereby the equalizer and the door may be readily connected in operative" relation, or disconnected for purposes of repair or replacement of parts. A further object is to provide an attaching bracket having means to provide a swinging support for the door when the latter is closed position, and which is capable of ready disengagement from its complemental member when the door is swung to position to travel horizontally.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing I Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sectional furniture unit with the invention applied thereto, the door being shown in closed position.

open. Fig. 4.- is a detail perspective view of the door attaching bracket; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the connection between the equalizer and the furniture unit. Referring to the drawing, 10 deslgnates a sectional furniture unit, provided with an Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional viewon the line 22 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the equalizer showing the positions assumed by the parts when the door is in the under surface of the anchoring member 11. r

. Attached to the inner face of the door 12 near the upper edge thereof, are brackets 20, there being brackets contiguous to each end of the. door. Said brackets are'of approximately U-shape, having two arms 'or branches, the arm or branch 21 having an opening 22 therein, and the arm or bracket 28 having a hook-shaped portion 2 1. Loosely mounted in the openings 22 of the arms 21 is a rod 25, upon which is slidably mounted a sleeve 26, )ivotally attached to the outer end of the equalizer arm 14. A similar sleeve 27 loosely engages the rod, and is held from sliding in any suitable manner, such as by means of staples 28, said sleeve being pivotally connected to the outer end of equalizer arm 13. The end walls of the unit 10 are provided with studs 29 positioned to be engagedv by the hooks 241 of the brackets 20.

In assembling, the block 17 is first positioned within the groove 18 and then attached to the inner end of the arm 13. The innerend of the arm 14'is also pivotally connected to the anchoring member at 16. To connect the door, the rod 25 is passed through the openings 22 of the brackets 20, and also passed through the sleeves 26 and 27 after which the staples 28 are applied. Normally the staples 28 and sleeve 27 will hold the rod 25' against longitudinal dis placement, but if it should be found necessary to provide additional means to prevent endwise movement of'the rod 25, the brackets 20 may be provided with struck up portions 30 which may be easily bent up to a position opposite the contiguous end of the rod. In operation, as'the door moves inwardly and outwardly in a horizontal position,the block 17 slides in the groove 18 and the sleeve 26 slides upon the rod' 25, thereby accurately maintaining the door with its ends parallel with the ends of the furniture unit, and preventing any lateral play of the door. As a consequence the door may be slid inwardly or outwardly with a smooth uniform movement and binding thereof is prevented. When the door reaches its outermost position, the hooks 2 1 engage the stud 29 to limit or arrest the outward movement, and the door is free to pivot upon the rod 25 and the studs 29, so that it may swing to its necessary vertical reverse position to close the front of the'unit. When it is desired to open the door it is swung to a'horizontal position, pivoting upon the 'rod and the studs 29, and when the swinging movement has been completed it may be moved inwardly in the usual and well known manner. If it should become necessary to remove the door for repair or replacement, thestaples 28'are removed, whereupon the rod 25 will be free, so that it may be withdrawn from the sleeves 26 and 27, through 7,

one of the openings 22. Of course, if the struck up portions 30 are employed, the one contiguous to said opening 22 must be bent down before the rod can withdrawn, To reassemble, the foregoing operation s [Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described an operative man ner'of constructingand using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which may be made, or all of the formsfof'its use, What is claimed is l. The combination-with a slidable and swinging door, of brackets attached 'to the ,lngone end loosely engaging said rod,

door, a rod having aloose engagement with sa dbrackots, equalizer members each havmeans, normally preventing movement of oneof said ends longitudinally-of the rod,

and means for supportingthe other ends of said equalizer members, said rod being disengageable from sa d brackets and said equalizer arms by a longitudinal movement.

2. The combination with a door of the character described, of brackets attached to the door, a rod loosely engaging said brackets, crossed equalizer members pivotally connected together and each having one end loosely engaging said rod, means vfor sup- .porting the other ends of said equalizer members, means normallyv preventing move? ment or one end of each equalizer member in a direction longitudinally of the door, and hook members projecting from said brackets, said rod being disengageable from said bracketsand said equalizer arms by a longitudinal movement. r

3. The combination, with a door of the character described, of U-shaped brackets attached to the door, one arm of each bracket being of hook shape, a rod loosely engaging the other arms of said brackets, equalizer members each having one end loosely engagingsaid rod, means for supporting the 7 other ends of saidv equalizer members, and

means normally preventing movement of one end'of each equalizer member, in a di'rec-w tion longitudinally ofthe door, said rod being disengageable from said brackets and said equalizer arms by a longltudinal movement.

' end and having its other end engaging said anchoring member, and a pivot rod removably engaging said brackets and sleeves.

6. The combination with a door of the character described, and an anchoring member, of brackets attached to the door, a rod loosely engaging said brackets, crossed equalizer arms, a sleeve slidably and pivotally engaging said-rod and connected with one end of one of said e ualizer arms, the other 611d of said arm being pivotally connected with theanchoring member, anda second sleeve engaging said rod and held against slidingmovement, said sleeve being connectedwithlone end of the other arm, the other end of the last mentioned arm being slidably connected With the anchoring member. Q

7. The combination with a door of the character described,-and an anchoring memher having a groove therein, of brackets at tached to the door, a rod loosely engaging said bracketsypivotally connected equalizer arms, means for slidably connecting one end of one of said arms with said rod, means for I pivotally connecting the other-end of the arm with the anchoring member, means for providing a non-slidable pivotal'conneetion between said rod and one end ofthe other equalizer member, and a block slidably monntedin the groove of said anchoring member and pivotally connected with the other end of the last mentioned equalizer arm, said rod being disengageable from said brackets and said equalizer arms by a longitudinal-movement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in witnesses; i

A BERT M. WOLTZ. Witnesses:

L. DRAKE:

W.v 'THOS. HORMES;

presence of two subscribing 

